Business of the House

Debate between Alison Bennett and Alan Campbell

Thursday 21st May 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise those matters on behalf of her constituents, and others in rural areas. I will raise them with the relevant Minister and get an update on how the Government intend to make progress on this matter.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

Yesterday, the Climate Change Committee laid out in stark terms the risks that we face as a country if we do not tackle the impact of climate change; one of those was drought. That is especially pertinent in Mid Sussex and across the south-east, which is extremely water scarce. South East Water is already warning about its ability to meet the demands of a growing population. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on how the Government intend to reconcile their housing targets with the region’s finite water resources?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As the hon. Lady will know, the Government intend to bring forward a water Bill in this Session. She will be able to raise her concerns directly as that legislation makes progress.

Business of the House

Debate between Alison Bennett and Alan Campbell

Thursday 5th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The Government are absolutely on this; we are ensuring that billions of pounds are available to local authorities so that potholes can be fixed. That seems a particularly current issue, not least because of the wet winter; but that does not matter—they need to be fixed. The Government are also committed, through the Pride in Place programme, to ensuring that neighbourhoods not only get investment, but that people living in those places are in charge of making decisions about their future. I will certainly put to the Secretary of State my hon. Friend’s suggestion.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

I also wanted to raise potholes, because potholes are plaguing many roads in Haywards Heath in my constituency, including Perrymount Road, which feels a bit like driving over the surface of the moon. Conservative-run West Sussex county council has failed for years with temporary patch repairs that are both a disaster and a waste of money. How can West Sussex get better than this?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As I have said, the Government are committed to more investment, but that requires local authorities to perform—that was the bit I missed out. Local authorities have an obligation to do that, and I hope that the hon. Lady’s local authority area has heard her words today.

Business of the House

Debate between Alison Bennett and Alan Campbell

Thursday 29th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend raises an important matter, and I know he takes these matters very seriously indeed. I cannot give him the answer he seeks, but I can request a meeting with Ministers so that they can explain to him what the plans are going forward or, if necessary, the concerns and difficulties that mean they cannot proceed in the way that my hon. Friend asks for. If he wants that meeting, I will arrange it.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

Madam Deputy Speaker, I am sure that your constituents, like mine, were absolutely shocked this morning to discover that their water bills from South East Water will go up by 7%, while the company is being investigated by Ofwat. The water industry is a failed industry. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on adopting the Liberal Democrat call for a mutual ownership model for the water companies?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The previous Government should never have allowed the water sector to get into this state, with record levels of sewage and ageing water infrastructure. I understand very well how consumers will react to the news that their bills are going up yet again, and the Government are absolutely committed to improving the situation. As I said before, we are calling out water companies that are underperforming. I am not sure that we can promise to go as far as accepting a Liberal Democrat solution to these problems, but I am sure there will be ample opportunity to debate these matters going forward. Water is such an important consideration for our constituents, not least because it adds to the cost of living, which we are equally determined to tackle.

Business of the House

Debate between Alison Bennett and Alan Campbell

Thursday 13th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The protecting of local businesses by the police is very important, not just in Scotland but everywhere else. Policing is a matter for the Scottish Government, but what my hon. Friend describes sounds like an untenable situation, particularly for the business to which he referred. Scotland has had the biggest funding settlement for a very long time, so I hope the Scottish Government have heard his words.

[Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD)]

Hon. Members who watched “Newsnight” last night will doubtless have been moved by Sir Michael Palin’s interview about his wife Helen’s final days and passing in a hospice. The package reveals what is known to many Members: the hospice crisis of funding, cuts and beds being closed. In the light of that, will the Leader of the House make time for Members to debate the crisis in our hospices, including the urgent need to reverse the Government’s increases in national insurance contributions and to ensure that hospices are finally fairly funded?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Lady will know that the changes in the Budget last year were to find the money to support public services, so these are not easy decisions by any means. I know that her concern about hospices and the fantastic work they do in our local communities is felt across the House. She may wish to seek a debate on this issue, because the Government will at that point be able to remind the House that we have in fact put in more resources; £100 million has gone into hospices in the last year.